
From the Editor - In September, my family started the 2020-2021 school year from home, and I tell you what—we are just as busy as we were when we were all going out in a normal, pre-pandemic world.
I remember when the coronavirus first hit, and I was thinking how glad I was that we had just wrapped the previous issue at the beginning of March.
Trying to wash anything my kids touched, coordinating work-from-home schedules, sharing childcare and teaching responsibilities with my husband, navigating the unknown… it took a toll, but at least the latest issue of the magazine was out.
I was happy I’d scheduled my ADT for around late March, as I do every year, but not as happy as my command, who was thrilled to have me show up during such a busy, uncertain time.
When I was working on the Coast Guard’s coronavirus website—writing articles for it, writing the FAQs that you might have read—it felt good to have a hand in something that was providing help. The effect of having a finished product at the end of the day, having made a little progress in something, it just felt cathartic in a way.
But I know I’m one of the lucky ones who still got to go to work when all this was happening. I know many readers who didn’t, who had their drills and ADT canceled without a clear plan for rescheduling, and are still reeling from the effects. And when you add to it the complications from the glitch with the hard stop in Direct Access on scheduling or changing drills after May 1… we’ve just been thrown, collectively, for a loop.
In fact, one petty officer I interviewed for one of the stories in this issue told me, “I don’t even remember how to be a reservist anymore.”
It does feel like a confusing time.
One thing that remains the same at a time like this is how relevant the Reserve is, how needed we are. And the thing that makes us, as reservists, shine is our ability to adapt to the unknown. To show up to a role during coronavirus and know it’s not the first time we’ve been called to serve in an unfamiliar role, and we adapted and succeeded.
This is not our first rodeo!
We’re used to things being out of place, doing things with half the information. In fact, I saw a few jokes about the rest of the Coast Guard trying to telework under conditions that reservists experience EVERY TIME we log in remotely.
Welcome to the dark side, shipmates.
But, a rising tide lifts all boats, and there’s a lot of good on the horizon. If you read our admiral’s View from the Bridge column on page 6, you’ll see there’s actually a lot of much-needed change coming down the pike. I’m really excited for the FlexPal.
In the meantime, keep your masks handy and stay tuned as we navigate these waters together.
Doesn’t mean I’ll forget you, dear readers. Email your story ideas at TheReservist@uscg.mil, and I’ll put them together for a springtime issue, around February 2021. I’ll be back in a few months; be good while I’m away
Click cover image to download a printable pdf